Cooperative
Learning
Cooperative Learning involves
structuring classes around small groups that work together in such a way that
each group member's success is dependent on the group's success. There are
different kinds of groups for different situations, but they all balance some
key elements that distinguish cooperative learning from competitive or
individualistic learning.
Cooperative learning can also be
contrasted with what it is not. Cooperation is not having students sit
side-by-side at the same table to talk with each other as they do their
individual assignments. Cooperation is not assigning a report to a group of
students where one student does all the work and the others put their names on
the product as well. Cooperation involves much more than being physically near
other students, discussing material, helping, or sharing material with other
students. There is a crucial difference between simply putting students into
groups to learn and in structuring cooperative interdependence among students.
Why Use Cooperative Learning?
-Extensive research has compared
cooperative learning with traditional classroom instruction using the same
teachers, curriculum, and assessments. On the average:
-Students who engage in cooperative
learning learn significantly more, remember it longer, and develop better
critical-thinking skills than their counterparts in traditional lecture
classes.
-Students enjoy cooperative
learning more than traditional lecture classes, so they are more likely to
attend classes and finish the course.
-Students are going to go on to
jobs that require teamwork. Cooperative learning helps students develop the
skills necessary to work on projects too difficult and complex for any one
person to do in a reasonable amount of time.
-Cooperative learning processes
prepare students to assess outcomes linked to accreditation.
How to Use Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning exercises can
be as simple as a five minute in class exercise or as complex as a project
which crosses class periods. These can be described more generally in terms of
low, medium, and high faculty/student time investment.
Cooperative learning can be used
across a wide range of classroom settings ranging from small to large lecture,
as well as in online classes.
No matter what the setting is,
properly designing and implementing cooperative learning involves five key
steps. Following these steps is critical to ensuring that the five key elements
that differentiate cooperative learning from simply putting students into
groups are met.
Cooperative Learning Techniques
Cooperative learning techniques can
be loosely categorized by the skill that each enhances (Barkley, Cross and
Major, 2005), although it is important to recognize that many cooperative
learning exercises can be developed to fit within multiple categories.
Categories include: discussion, reciprocal teaching, graphic organizers,
writing and problem solving. Each category includes a number of potential
structures to guide the development of a cooperative learning exercise. For
example, the category of problem-solving helps to develop strategic and analytical
skills and includes exercises such as the send-a-problem, three-stay one-stray,
structured problem solving, and analytical teams.
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